Pakistan, India water talks deadlocked

LAHORE - Five-day talks between Pakistan and India Indus Water Commission were deadlocked as delegations met after three days on Tuesday with both the sides sticking to their guns.Pakistan reiterated its stance over four controversial dams by India on Chenab River in Indian Held Kashmir while the neighbouring country did not seem ready to address Pakistan’s concerns, said official sources. “Long negotiations by Indus Water Commission on water issue between Pakistan and India ended without success or even without any significant solution of the issue,” the sources added. The Commission, however, agreed to conduct final session on the issue next month.“In case of India’s failure to satisfy the objections raised by Pakistan, the Commission will request both the governments for intervention and the matter will ultimately go to International Court for mediation in case the governments failure in resolving the issue,”the sources said. Indus Water Commissioner Pakistan Asif Baig, while talking to media, said that the dialogue report had been sent to the government.He said that it is premature to state anything about the settlement of water issue with India.The Commissioner said that India will not be given space to delay this issue and the decisions will be made in the final bilateral sessions over the next two months.On the other hand, India and Pakistan have agreed to visit the site of the dams, whereas, the objections by Pakistan on the design of Krishna Ganga Dam were also presented before India during the dialogue process.Pakistani delegation had raised concerns over designs of of 850MW Ratle, 1,000MW Pakal Dul, 120MW Miyar and the 48MW Lower Kalnai hydropower projects. Pakistan asked for changes in the design with especially reference to the spillways and poundage, which affects the intake location. Intake of water should go up, spillways are low in elevation and these needed to be taken up.